Applesauce Spice Cake with a Cream Cheese Basket Weave Frosting

Elizabeth did it! We tried the fantastic Pastor Chuck Orchard applesauce and she couldn't get enough. It's a dark, sweet, spicy applesauce cooked up here in Maine. We used it to make our family's famous Applesauce Spice Cake. It is always a favorite. We baked it last night and divided the batter to make four 9-inch round layers. It was so irresistable that we frosted and ate a layer last night. The remaining three layers were saved for today. Elizabeth used our deluxe cream cheese frosting recipe and created a beautiful design. She had seen an episode of some food network show that depicted a basket weave frosting design. The only direction she had was how to fill the pastry bag. Her first attempt was a fantastic success. I think it was a combination of her creativity and some sort of predisposed I-Love-to-make-the-fussiest-cake-designs-I-can-think-of gene. She started with an idea and made it into a wonderful cake. I'm so proud of her! Here is the recipe for our moist, delicious family recipe!
One Bowl Applesauce Spice Cake
3 3/4 cup King Argthur all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
3 t cinnamon
2 t cardamom
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
6 eggs
3 cups Pastor Chuck Orchard Applesauce (or your favorite applesauce)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg together into a large bowl.
Whisk together the eggs, applesauce and oil. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir gently until completely combined.
Grease four 9" round cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Set two pans each on separate cookie sheets- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and cool completely. Frost and chill or serve right away- you might have to defend the cake if hungry mouths are waiting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 lb bag confectioners sugar
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 t salt
2 T pure vanilla extract
2-4 T cream
Cream the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer. Add salt. Slowly add the confectioners sugar a couple of Tablespoons at a time until it is all incorporated- scraping down the bowl often. Add 2 to 4 Tablespoons cream to give the frosting the consistency you like.

Pork Roast and Apple Sauce

The recipe for today is Pork Roast with Maple Glaze. Our dear friends the Olivers had a house fire last night. We've all been working together to find ways to help them get back on their feet. Tonight's meal was quick and easy.
Pork Loin with Maple Glaze: use the kind or pork loin/roast you like- I just got what was on sale today. Rinse it. Pat it dry. Season with salt, pepper and some minced garlic. Rub a Tablespoon or two of dijon or honey mustard over the top. Place it in a roasting pan and drizzle with pure maple syrup. Roast it at 350 degrees 20 minutes per pound. When it's done, remove it from the oven, cover with foil and let it sit 10 to 15 minutes. Swing dance around the kitchen to some Louis Armstrong while you wait. Slice it across the grain and serve with rice pilaf and sweet baby peas. A dollop of chunky applesauce on the side completes your meal. Drizzle some of the pan juices over the top of the sliced meat just before you serve. Yum!
Remember to count your blessings before you go to sleep tonight. I hope you are safe, warm, fed, content and grateful. We are all so lucky- there are always blessings to count. I'm so glad that Ernie, Molly, Sean, Gavin and Sawyer are alright. A fire can take belongings. People are the magic that make a house a home. Thank goodness we've still got the magic. We'll help them work out the rest.